


It's Love That Holds Your Hand

by PizzaHorse



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bonding, Cassunzel - Feral!Cassandra AU, Confessions, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Horses, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21790447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PizzaHorse/pseuds/PizzaHorse
Summary: We don't always get to choose our parents, but we can choose our family.
Relationships: Queen Arianna of Corona & Cassandra (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 74





	It's Love That Holds Your Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Recommended listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12DpVB7_D-U
> 
> AU Notes: When Mother Gothel came to steal a lock of Rapunzel's hair, the magic of the Sundrop flower continued to heal her - thus, she had no need to kidnap a baby. Unfortunately, that meant the soldiers never recovered Cassandra when she was a child. After escaping from her unfit mother in her teens, Cassandra spent a couple of seasons in the woods. During that time, she met Rapunzel, but since her only social interactions up to that point were with Gothel, she all but avoided her. In the winter, however, Rapunzel found a very sick and dying Cassandra. After nursing her back to health, the two became fast friends, and Cassandra was more or less adopted by the royal family and the castle staff. At first assuming she'd grown up in the woods, it soon became apparent from her exceptional manners and ability to understand English that there was more to this girl than simply being someone who grew up in the wilderness. Although she refused to speak to anyone for a long while, and for even longer still would only speak to Rapunzel, Cassandra has finally reached a day when she feels comfortable enough opening up to someone else.

Like most afternoons, Rapunzel was busy with princess lessons, which meant Cassandra was on her own for the day. She had spent a lot of her recent free time in the stables, looking after Fidella. Today was no different, as she gleefully headed for the stall of her favorite mare.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see someone else present as well. The woman Rapunzel often called "mother". She was looking after a white stallion, who Cassandra had come to know as Maximus. Rapunzel's mother waved, but Cassandra hurried quietly past. She came here to get away from other people, and find solace in the friendship of a fuzzy beast.

Surprisingly, but also rather fortunately, Rapunzel's mother left her alone as she tended to Fidella.

Sometime later, as she was carrying a bucket past Maximus's stall, she caught sight of the woman creating ornate designs in his hair. As she filled the container with water, she thought about the fact that Fidella deserved to have that kind of care and attention. She deserved to be pretty, too.

With a grimace, she approached, clearing her throat as she asked, "How did you do that?"

She turned in surprise, then smiled. "Would you like me to show you?"

Cassandra nodded.

Rapunzel's mother motioned her over, taking a few strands of hair and waiting for her to repeat the action. Then, she slowly folded one over the other, pausing for Cassandra at each step as she tried to perfect the technique. It _looked_ complicated, but it wasn't, really. "These are braids," she clarified.

Quiet settled between them as Cassandra concentrated. She almost forgot someone was next to her, until the woman piped up with a question.

"So, where do you come from?"

"The woods," Cassandra answered, almost without hesitation. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth, either.

"And how long did you live there?"

She shrugged, a non-committal response to a question she wasn't ready to answer.

"And where did you live before that?"

"The woods. In a house."

"I see. Was it just you there?"

"No."

There was a lull as they both continued braiding. It had been difficult enough for Cassandra to warm up to Rapunzel. But she'd been talking to Fidella more and more, and something inside her gave way as she decided that maybe she could trust this person, too. After all, if Rapunzel trusted her, she couldn't be bad, right?

"Mother was there, too," she frowned. "I thought she was 'mother.' But you're 'mother' too. Rapunzel's. But she wasn't like you at all."

"Sometimes mothers can be very different," she said, focused on the stallion's mane.

"Why?"

"Well, they all have their own idea of how mothering should be done."

"I like the way you do it better."

"What was your mother like?"

That caused Cassandra to pause, dropping the strands of hair she was holding. She pressed a hand against Maximus's side, using the horse to sturdy herself. She thought back to all the times her mother had scolded or yelled at her or taken away food or toys or even- lots of things Rapunzel's mother had _never_ done. Too many things to even begin to talk about. Her head spun and her chest ached as she tried to grab just one single incident amidst an ocean of bad memories.

"She didn't like when I cut my hair."

"Oh? I think it suits you."

"She didn't," her arms were at her sides, hands balled into fists. "I cleaned up all the hair, but she was still mad. I didn't like it long. It got in the way. This was better, I thought. Mother disagreed. I shouldn't have argued with her. It was my fault."

"What was?"

She turned, slipping her tunic from her shoulder, pulling it down on the left side just below her collar. There was a distinctive scar, not much larger than a coin, but visible enough if one took the time to look.

"I'm always doing stupid things. Tripping on myself and falling. Knocking my head on the mantel. Making a mess. Running into scissors."

The implication of her words settled onto Arianna like a weight. Just what had this girl been put through? She'd been reserved and standoffish, but she'd initially attributed it to shyness and the months spent in the forest. She couldn't have imagined something as awful and sinister as-

"I shouldn't have told you. Mother won't be happy," Cassandra swallowed. "I wish she was more like you. You listen, and you're nice. I'm not scared of you."

"Cassandra, you don't ever have to go back there."

Her eyes went wide at the statement, looking at her in disbelief. "R-Really?"

"Really. You can stay here as long as you need. Forever, even."

She felt overwhelmed again, this time by a sea of joy and relief. She rushed forward, burying her face in her dress and clinging tightly to her. She fought back her tears, after all, it was ugly to cry in front of others. But she felt protected, and secure, and for the first time in her life Cassandra felt a wave of genuine comfort and happiness. She could _stay_. No more hiding out in the woods. No more being cooped up in her home and wondering when her mother would be back and what kind of mood she'd be in. No more being afraid of being ousted for saying or doing the wrong thing. No more running. No more fighting. No more fear. She could relax. She was _safe_.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway join the Cassunzel Discord where this AU was born: https://discordapp.com/invite/CM7pqcb


End file.
